“That night getting arrested was one of the best things that has ever
happened to me. Because if I don’t get so publicly shamed and publicly
humiliated, I don’t think I wake up,” Wambach told the Associated Press. “I think I was asleep for a lot of years. Asleep to the pleas from my family and friends, and even myself, to get help.”

Wambach said she previously abused vodka and pills, including Vicodin, Ambien, and Adderall, and that she’s been sober since her arrest. She pleaded guilty and
entered a diversion program for first-time offenders that included
treatment.

Despite her private struggles, she became the leading scorer in international soccer — male or female — with 184 career goals. She’s a two-time Olympic gold medalist and was named the 2012 FIFA Player of the Year. She retired in October, a few months after the U.S. Women’s National Team won the World Cup. “This isn’t something that just snuck up on me when I retired from
soccer. This is something I’ve been dealing with for years now,” she said.